Universal angle drive



Nov. 169 1948. M. P. wlNTHER 2,454,111

UNIVERSAL ANGLE DRIVE Filed NOV. 14, 1946 "lll Patented Nov. 16, 1948 UNIVERSAL ANGLE DRIVE Y,Martin P. Winther, Waukegan, Ill., assignor to Martin P. Winther, Waukegan, Ill., trustee Application November 14, 1946, Serial No. 709,337

4 Claims. (Cl. 172-284) drive or the class described in which constant angular velocity ratio between the driving and driven elements may be obtained at any of the angles within its range and under all slip speeds; and the provision of a drive of this class which is simple and economical to construct for a long life with little Wear under adverse operating conditions. Other objects will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the elements and combinations of elements, features oi construction, and arrangements of parts which will be exemplified in the structures hereinafter described, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

in the accompanying drawings, in which one of various possible embodiments of invention is iliustrated,

Fig. i is a horizontal section of device vieu/ed in plan, the section being taken on line of Fig. 2;

Eig. 2 is an ideal cross section teiten 2-2 of Fig. i; and

Fig'. 3 is a schematic wiring diagram.

Similar reference characters corre sponding parts throughout the several views ci the drawings.

There are in existence various mechanical types of universal drives or couplingssome of which do not provide a constant angular velocity ratio between the driving and the driven members, and some of which do. An example of the formeris the .so-called Hooke or Cardan universal joint. An example of the latter is, for example, the socalled Weiss coupling, There are others in each category, but they all have the common disadvantage'that either the constant angular velocity ratio is not obtained or complex means must be used to obtain it. if sufficient strength is to inhere. None of them which have any reasonable shaft angle adjustment are sufficiently shockproof, and even those that are shock-proof employ resilient members that tear or lose their resiliency. Furthermore, none of them provides 55 for any so-called slip-coupling effect whereby the desired velocity ratio may be adjusted to provide a range-of selective speeds of the driven member. That is to say, none of them provides for a selective speed reduction through the coupling with a constant angular velocity ratio at any selected reduction.

The present invention provides not only a strong and simple universal coupling which is effective over a Wide range of angles between the driving and driven elements, but provides an adjustable slip-coupling speed-reducing action with the facility to maintain a constant angular velocity ratio at any selected speed reduction.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings. there is shown a drive shaft at numeral i and driven shaft at numeral 3. The drive shaft i is carried upon bearings 5 in a pedestal The driven shaft t is carried in bearings d in a pcd-- estal Keyed to the right-hand end of the shaft i is a spider i3 which is rotary with th'e shaft i. This spider includes suitable Ventilating openings and :dns il' for inducing air circulation through the openings. si continuous rim of the spider is shown at i9. liolted to the rirn l@ (see bolts 2i), is a rim 3 of a female magnetic inductcr rheinber indicated generally by numeral This inf doctor member is magnetic and conductive, being composed, for example, of magnetic iron or steel, in. which eddy currents may'ow. it is made two halves 2i and il@ which are-bolted together at grcoved joint ti, The two halves hold between i em in the grooves an annular excitation coil The inner surfaces of the members and e concentricallyspherically formed, as indicated at numerals 2lb and iii, the formative sphere having a center at 0, the two spherical surfaces and Si having a common radius R1. The two surfaces 35 and 3l may be considered toconstitute an interior substantially uninterrupted female spherical inductive surface of the member 25. Behind these surfaces 35 and 3l are formed integral fins 39 and ill. The tins 3Q being also integral with the attachment ring 23 serve with said ring 23 to organize the spherical Inductor 25 upon the rotary spider i3. Openings at @il accommodate outward air ow. Y

Keyed to the driven shaft 3 is a second spider d3, which has a spherically formed rim 45 upon which are located arcuate teeth 6l. The arcs of the respective teeth preferably extend along great circles of the sphere in planes which include the axis of shaft 8. They may therefore be said to constitute protuberances of lunate form. The

. rim as and teeth ln teeth Ati, 1 Y as shown in Fig. 2, and as shown in Fig. l. have are also magnetic. The in cross section, are of tapered form,

radii -of curvatures of their outer edges as. indi cated at Ita.V This radius Re is shorter. than the radius R1 by theamount indicated at G. which 'represents van air gap between the curved ends of the teeth .and the inner inductor surfaces 35 vand 31. This gap'is constant throughout its entire area by reasonof the fact that the center of radius Rz is'coincident at O with ,the center` of radius R1 (see Fig. 1). The organization 43,45,

' 41 may be referred to as a spherical male memben 'If the annular field coil 33 is energized with current (preferably direct current) there will be generated a. torio 'flux field, the cro'ss section of which 11s generally indicated by dash lines F.

This toric flux field around. coil 33 in Fig. 1. interlinks the magnetic material of the inductor 25 with the magnetic `material of the sphere 45 faces 35 and 31, thereby inducing eddy currents therein which produce amagnetic field which is reactive to the magnetic fields issuing from the teeth 41. These reactive fields cause an electric slip coupling between'the members 25 and 43. This accomplishes the rotative coupling between the angled shafts land 3.

Current for exciting the annular coil 33 is brought onto the inductor 25 by means of suitable brushes 49 contacting with insulated slip rings shown at 48. These are in an exciting circuit (Fig. 3)l including a source of current 5| and l slip.

a rheostat or equivalent control 53 for controlling the excitation of coil 33. The wires for connecting the slip rings 48 with the coil 33 are shown diagrammaticallyat 55.

In Fig. 1 the pedestals 1 and i i are shown positioned tol hold the shafts i and 3 at a predetermined angle between them, having its apex at O.

It will be understood that the members upon which the pedestals. 1 and Il are located may be angled relatively to provi e any other angle of drive within therange ofthe device, including zero angle. The maximum angle A is substantial and rin the present embodiment is of the order oi"v 10. 'Asshown in Fig. l, bolts 2 are used for holdy ing the pedestals on a support 4. The bolts 2 associated with pedestal H cooperate with arcu- A ate slots 5 inthe frame4. The slots are centered on point O. Hence .the angle A may be readily adjusted. VIt will be understood that the chosen angle. need not lie in the plane-of the paper as shown, but that it may be in any plane. In other vwords,the spherical 'spacing of the members '25 andI 43, through the spherical air gap G will Vaccommodate anfindeiinite number of angles in Aany plane between theshafts I and 3.

' Operation is as follows:v 'Whenthe coil 33 isenergized, the toric ux excitation.` However. regardless of the amount Any heat generated at the eddy-current surfaces :sans :1 in the inductor member zu is dissipated 'by air ilow engendered by the fins I1. and 4|. Air circulation may take place through the spaces between teeth 41, in the air gap G and through the openings- I5 and 24.

It will be observed that the maximum angle A at which the drive will operate is conditioned in part by the inner form of the spider I3 which in the present example is arranged with a cone as shown at 53. 'Ihis form makes a compact design because it allows of placing the inner end oi' shaft I close to center .0. It willof course be observed that if it is not desired to place the shaft l in close to the spherical members, this conical form may be dispensed with.

It is to be observed that the following changes in relationships would constitute mere mechanical and electrical inversions under the principles described in this disclosure:

The shaft 3 may be made the drive shaft and the shaft i the driven shaft. The relatively uninterrupted or smoothV spherical inductor surface may be on the inner spherical male member and the toothed polar member may be the outer female member with teeth extending inwardly. Also, the annular field coil 33 may be carried in a mid 'plane either on the outer female member as shown, or upon the inner male member, regardless of whether the respective member plays the role of polar member, or inductor.

It is also to be observed that although only one coil 33 is shown, several-might be used ii desired.

Since there is no rigid mechanical connection between the members 25 and 43, but only a resilient magnetic connection, no shock is transmitted. Furthermore, since the only connection is at gap G, there is no wear due to the universal coupling elements per se, regardless of the angle between the driving and the driven shafts. No lubrication is required at the driving surfaces per se, and the action is very quiet. In mechanical universal couplings the wear and noise increases severely with increase in angle between shafts. The present invention avoids this trouble.

It will be noted from Fig. 1 that the spherical extents of the spherical forms of the inductor surfaces 35, 31 and of the teeth 41 in the directions of their meridians are such that the complete interlinkage of the 'toric tflux field F is substantially constant under any adjustments of the driving and driven, axes. This results in maintaining the maximum possible torque transmission at a givenadjusted shaft angle, l

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained. As many changes could be made in the abov constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim: Y

l. A constant velocity-ratio universal coupling for effecting a substantially angled mechanical drive comprising'male and female driving and driven members rotary on angled axes having an I intersecting point, one of said members having 5 ripheries of which are defined spherically with a center substantially at said point, the other member having an adjacent relativelvuninterrupted inductor surface also defined spherically with a center substantially at said point, the resulting spherically defined polar peripheries of the flux-concentrating polar members and said spherically defined inductor surface being spaced by means cf a constant spherical air gap irrespective of the angle of said axes, and at least one annular by looped excitation coil carried on one of said members in a plane substantially perpendicular to its axes of rotation and generating a torio flux field interlinking both of said members and passing through said polar members and through said inductor surface, the inductor surface and the polar members being magnetic.

2. A constant velocity-ratio universal coupling for effecting a substantially angled mechanical drive comprising male and female driving and driven members rotary on angled axes having an intersecting point, one of said members having flux-concentrating polar members the outer peripheries of which are defined spherically with a center substantially at said point, the other member having an adjacent relatively uninterrupted inductor surface also defined spherically with a center substantially at said point, the resulting spherically defined polar peripheries of the ux-concentrating polar members and said spherically defined inductor surface being spaced by means of a constant spherical air gap irrespective of the angle of said axes, and at least one annular by looped excitation coil carried on one of saidv members in a plane substantially perpendicular to its axes of rotation and generating a torio flux field interlinking both of said members and passing through said polar members and through said inductor surface, the inductor surface and the polar` members being magnetic, and means for substantially adjustably maintaining said axes for intersection at said point, the spherical extents of said inductor surface and of said polar members in the directions of their meridiana being such that interlinking cf the torio flux field with both of said members is substantially uninterrupted over the available range of angular adjustments of said axes.

3. A constant velocity-ratio universal coupling for effecting a substantially angled mechanical drive comprising male and female driving and driven members rotary on angled axes having an intersecting point, one of said members having flux-concentrating polar members the outer peripheries of which are defined spherically with a member having an adjacent relatively uninterrupted inductor surface also defined spherically with a center substantially at said point, the resulting spherically defined polar peripheries of the ux-concentrating polar members and said spherically defined inductor surface being spaced by means of a constant spherical Iair gap irrespective of the angle of said axes, at least one annular by looped excitation coil carried on one of said members in a plane substantially perpendicular to its axes of rotation and generating a torio flux field interlinking both of said members and passing through said polar members and through said inductor surface, the inductor surface and the polar members being magnetic, and means for variably exciting said field coil.

4. A constant velocity-ratio universal coupling for effecting a substantially angled mechanical drive comprising male and female driving anddriven members rotary on angled axes having an intersecting point, one of said members having flux-concentrating polar members the outer peripheries of which are defined spherically with a center substantially at said point, the other member having an adjacent relatively uninterrupted inductor surface also defined spherically center substantially at said point, the other with a center substantially at said point, the resulting spherically defined polar peripheries of the flux-concentrating polar members and said spherically defined inductor surface being spaced by means of a constant spherical air gap irre, spective of the angle of said axes, at least one annular by looped excitation coil carried on one of said members in a plane substantially perpendicular to its axes of rotation and generating a torio flux field interlinking both of said members and passing through said polar members and through said inductor surface, the inductor surface and the polar members being magnetic, means for variably exciting said field coil, and means for adjustably maintaining said axes for intersection at said point, the spherical extents of said inductor surface of said polar members in the directions of their meridians being such that interlinking of the toric flux field with both of said members is substantially uninterrupted over the available range of adjustments oi' said axes.

MARTIN P. WINTHER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: l

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

